And ... is alcohol FATTENING?

 Yes, indeed! Each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, so that if we take 100 mL of a beverage containing 50 % alcohol, we will be taking 50g of alcohol and 350 calories. This is equivalent to a full meal! And worst of all is that alcohol doesn’t nourish one bit.

Alcohol also gives calories (and makes us fat).  The only difference is that it doesn’t contain any nutrients.  It’s an “empty” food.

For example, if we go to a party and begin with a Rum & Cola( 50ml rum (111kcal ) and 100ml of Coca Cola (42Kcal ), during dinner we have 2 beers (200kcal) and finally a vodka on the rocks (126Kcal), we would be adding 479 extra calories to our day.  This is equal to eating 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of bread, a glass of orange juice, one piece of sweet bread and a cup of coffee.

It sounds terrible! All our effort to lose weight lost by a few drinks in an evening.

But not everything has to be banned, there are some tricks in order to be able to enjoy alcohol without sacrificing too much.  

Here are some tips:

• Choose low percentage alcoholic drinks like wine or beer.
• Choose low-calorie soft drinks or sugar free, such as mineral water, to mix them.
• If you mix your drinks with juices, look for those that don’t contain sugar.
• Avoid quenching your thirst with alcoholic beverages, try drinking a few glasses of water BEFORE drinking alcohol.

Here is a table with the most common alcoholic drinks and how many calories they provide:

DRINK	PORTION	KCAL
Anise	A cup ( 50mL )	131
Cava brut	A cup (100mL )	65
Cava semi-dry	A cup (100mL)	69
Beer	One can (250mL )	100
Light beer	One can (250mL )	55
Cuba libre cocktail	One glass (250ml )	347
Cocktail Daiquiri	A glass (100ml )	222
Gin Tonic Cocktail	A glass (250ml )	350
Cognac	One cup (50mL )	112
Geneva	A cup (50mL )	110
Sweet liqueurs	A glass (50mL )	116
Rum	A measure (50ml )	111
Sangria	A glass (200ml )	172
Cider	A small glass (100ml )	38
Dry Vermouth	A measure (100ml )	118
Sweet vermouth	A measure (100mL )	151
Table wine	A glass (100ml )	71
Sweet wine	A glass (100ml )	157
Fine Wine	A glass (100ml )	116
Moscatel Wine	A glass (100ml )	165
Vodka	A measure (50ml )	126
Whisky	A measure (50ml )	111

The lesson here is: Don’t ruin all your week’s effort to loose weight with some "drinks".  Just learn to choose the best option .

See you next week.

Nuts: healthy food or urban myth?

 In this week's blog we have invited the expert in nutrition and cardiovascular disease María del Carmen González. She will give us updated, scientific facts about nuts, why they are healthy and how we can take advantage of them. Hope you like it:

How many things have we heard about nuts? "they are high in fat " , "they are miracle makers" , "they cure diseases”... As with many foods, the information we receive is part truth, part urban myth and part tradition. This time I give you scientifically proven facts that many doctors and nutritionists have analyzed.

Nuts are low in simple carbohydrates (sugars)

• Research studies have found that when we eat natural nuts our glucose concentrations (sugar) are more stable. Also, if we eat nuts mixed with foods high in sugar, nuts can dampen the body's response and our blood sugar does not rise as much or as fast.
• Walnuts are rich in nutrients that help lower the risk of heart disease because they contain healthy fat like monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants and minerals.

 

Healthy fatty acid content

• They are a good source of Omega 3, a group of fat that protects the heart. A diet high in omega-3 can reduce inflammation as well as help to lower triglycerides and cholesterol among other things.

High in vegetable protein, fiber and minerals

• Nuts also contain copper and magnesium, minerals that protect your heart.
• Since they are high in fiber it helps regulate intestinal transit and helps with constipation.
• This food group is a great ally during pregnancy due to its high content of folic acid, which helps the correct formation of the fetus.
• In the elderly they help prevent osteoporosis.
• Nuts have a high percentage of protein: 100 grams of nuts are equivalent to 100 grams of meat.
• Since they contain small amounts of sodium, they are an excellent product for those who need to watch their salt intake (hypertension and/or diabetes)

As you can see, walnuts are good allies in our diet, remember they are high in calories so I recommend that you include 8-10 nuts in your diet once a day.

See you next week!

References

National Database USDA Nutrient reference standards

http://www.comenuez.org/xoo/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=18

Çhttp://www.yocondiabetes.com/nutricion/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1825&Itemid=0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20199995

Too much for me ... may be too little for you.

This week I was thinking about those small details that we commit in our diets that lead us to failure. 

Today we will talk about PORTION SIZES.

You can choose the most wonderful diet, internationally proven, the diet of Hollywood stars, you can buy the most exotic food, but if your portion sizes are larger than indicated, everything falls apart.

The concept of a "normal portion" is entirely relative. A portion that is excessive to me may be small for someone else.

 

For example, a serving of meat is equivalent to 30g (the size of the palm of your hand) and it is a common belief that a portion of meat is 150g because that is the amount of a “small” Mc Donald's burger.

To make it simple, in recent years everyday objects have been used as reference for food portion sizes.

A poker chip = one serving of oil, butter, margarine or peanut butter = 45 kcal

A pack of cigarettes = 1 serving of meat (chicken, beef, pork, fish) or cheese = Approx 70 Kcal

A baseball or tennis ball = 1 serving of vegetables (25 kcal) or cereals (75 kcal)

A CD = one serving of breakfast bread (hot cakes, waffles, bagel) = 75-100 kcal

In this way, the next time you make a change in your habits, compare what you call a portion with what it really is and try to adapt to these new quantities. You'll see that your efforts will be well rewarded.

Best of luck!

 
 


 

DeLiCioUs recipes for your KidS!

Following post-holiday changes, in this blog I give you two delicious recipes, easy to make and to enjoy with your children:

Potato Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of low fat cream

• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 cups cooked and cooled and diced potatoes

• 1 cup frozen vegetables, cooked and cooled

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)

• 2-4 slices of bread

Preparation

• Combine the cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and salt in a small bowl and reserve separately.

• Toss potatoes, vegetables and capers in a large bowl and pour the cream dressing over potatoes and mix well. Chill the salad before serving.

• Spread a slice of bread with the salad and place another slice to form a sandwich.

• Cut the sandwich in half to make two triangles

Wrapped chocolate banana

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons chocolate powder (preferably without sugar)

• 1 tablespoon skim milk

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

• 1 banana

• 2 small flour tortillas, slightly warmed

• Cinnamon

Preparation

• Mix the chocolate flavor powder and milk in a small bowl. Add peanut butter and mix well.

• Spread half of the mixture into each tortilla.

• Put the banana in the center of each tortilla and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Roll it up and cut it in half.

See you next week!

Reference: http://www.elmejornido.com/es/kitchen/recipes

How to have a HeAltHy return to ScHoOL?

Starting school is a very good opportunity to create new eating habits in your family.  
Let's take advantage of it!

First of all, remember that creating a new habit requires slow and gradual change.  Talk to your family and make them part of the change. Explain your plan and involve them. If everyone participates it will be easier and there will be less resistance to eat healthier and improve their quality of life.

• Healthy Cupboard

In order to eat healthier and not fall into temptation, a simple principle is: DON’T BUY IT.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I bought a liter of Coca Cola to unclog a drain. At home we never drink soda, but knowing that we had it, we were tempted and took several glasses.

• Educate your family

It is very important that you include your children in the process of choosing food, invite them to the supermarket and teach them to choose the healthier version of the foods they like. Let them choose the fruits / vegetables and experiment with these new options. 

Children who are involved in the grocery shopping, are more eager to eat what they bought.

• Buy more fruits and vegetables

Make sure that more than a third of your purchase consists of fruits and vegetables.  Your purchase will be cheaper and have more ingredients to prepare meals and snacks with

• Plan your menus

Once a week plan what you will cook and anticipate your kids’ lunch the night before.  Involve them in the preparation and use that time to teach them how to eat healthier and lighter. 

There are many websites where you can find thousands of simple and innovative recipes for your family.

• School store

If your children takes money to school, spend time with them to explain what is better to buy in the store in order to feel lighter and more energetic.

• Home visits

When you have visitors at home or friends of your children, seek to provide snacks made from fruits and vegetables instead of buying bags of chips and dressings.

Remember: We seek long-term habits gradually developed. You do not need to radically change your food.  Try to make it as slow as possible so that the change does not become uncomfortable for anyone and that everyone finds new food options.

I hope these tips will be useful and that this return to the routine will be a new beginning for healthy habits.

Whole grains… are they as good as everyone says?

 Whole grains are the seeds of different grains (wheat, corn, rye, oats and rice), that still have all their original nutrients.

A whole grain is made up of three elements and each one provides different nutrients:

Bran or outer layer: fiber, B vitamins and minerals (such as iron, magnesium, zinc and copper).

Endosperm or interlayer: Complex carbohydrates and proteins.

Germ or center: Antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Whole grains help us because:

• They help us to maintain or reduce our weight: because we feel satisfied faster and for longer time, thereby preventing becoming overweight.
• Decreased risk of heart disease: as they help reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.
• Reduce the risk of diabetes and also help control it: because eating them increases the insulin response, thus improving our blood glucose levels.
• Optimize gut health: since they improve bowel movement, reducing the risk of gastrointestinal infections, decreasing inflammation and increasing intestinal flora.

However, to achieve these benefits we need to eat at least 48g of whole grains each day.

But, how much do I need to eat to achieve this recommendation? Here are some examples:

1 piece of bread = 16 g of whole grains

½ cup corn kernels = 16 g of whole grains

2 cups popcorn = 16 g of whole grains

½ cup cooked wild rice or whole = 16 g of whole grains

¼ cup oatmeal or granola = 16 g of whole grains

½ cup cooked pasta = 16 g of whole grains

2.5 cups of amaranth = 24 g of whole grains

Also, in the supermarket, you can identify products that contain whole grains, through the "Whole Grain Stamp" which specifies how many grams contained in each product.

The next time you shop, play detective and find the healthiest version of the products your family likes!

If you want to achieve a healthy diet, try to have a healthy pantry.